a--Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for baling a tow of textile filaments. It relates more particularly to the operation for cutting the tow after the container has been filled.
b--Description of the Prior-Art
After tows of continuous filaments of artificial and synthetic textiles have been produced, it is known to package them in containers, generally cartons, by an operation referred to as "baling". During this operation, the tow is laid in uniform layers by means of a laying device driven with a reciprocating movement above the carton, the latter itself being driven with a reciprocating movement in a direction perpendicular to that of the movement of the laying device. The combination of these two movements permits the uniform formation of several superposed layers of tow. At the end of the operation, namely when the carton is full, it is necessary to cut the tow and to proceed in such a way that the beginning and the end of the length of tow which has been laid are easily distinguished. To do this, the tow is cut by hand, generally with scissors, at the end of the filling operation, and, in order to prevent the opening and the tangling of the yarns at the two ends obtained, a knot is made on each of these ends. This operation takes time and the result is not very attractive. Sometimes the yarns at the cut ends are held together by means of an adhesive tape.
It is also known to cut the tow automatically when the container has been filled. Thus, according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,383, the tow of thermoplastic textile yarns is cut automatically by means of a heated blade. Cutting is effected at a point, on the tow, which is located between a full container, which has just been withdrawn from the charging position, and a container to be filled, which is located in the charging position. However, this method does not make it possible easily to distinguish the two ends of the baled length of tow, one of these ends being embedded at the bottom of the container. Furthermore, it is necessary for an operator to intervene in order to hold the yarns of the other end together.